Moon and Sun: Betrayal in the Tree
by Umbreon Mastah
Summary: The long awaited sequel to Escape from the Pack. Mew's having a party at the Tree, but is there a traitor in their midst? And who is this strange trainer intent on capturing Umbreon? And Umbreon and Lucario are giving...dating advice! R&R please!
1. The Invitation

Hey, everyone! Sorry for taking so long to those of you who were waiting for this fic. Enjoy!

(P.S. If you haven't read my first fic in the series, _Moon and Sun: Escape from the Pack, _I suggest you do so before reading this fic.)

* * *

Mew yawned. Why did she have to wake up so early on a Saturday? She smacked her lips together and glanced toward the pile of envelopes sitting on her dresser. Oh yeah. That's why.

The little pink Pokémon dragged herself to the kitchen. She placed the envelopes on the tree-stump table and began writing on some stationary she had found in one of the drawers. After much revising, she tucked the invitations she had completed into the envelopes and addressed them properly.

Seconds after, the Mail Pelipper arrived at Mew's door. Mew dropped the letters into his open beak, all but one. As the Pelican Pokémon flew off, she stared at the single invitation in her paw, grinning evilly. _This _one she'd deliver herself.

Mew slipped from tree to tree as she approached the house up ahead. She ducked behind bushes, hid in tall grass, and concealed herself behind a lone Lopunny, much to his aggravation. Finally, she was within a stone's throw of the home. Mew quietly snuck up to the door, placed the letter on the floor, and rang the doorbell. Then she dashed away, up into a tree from which she could watch the door.

It opened, and an Umbreon appeared. "Hello?" she called. Mew giggled. The black fox looked down at the welcome mat and saw the letter. Mew couldn't see her sarcastic expression when she shouted, "Boy, I wonder who gave this to us!" She almost fell off the branch laughing. Umbreon was falling for it! Umbreon examined the envelope and headed inside, but not before shouting, "Thanks, Mew!" This time Mew _did _fall off the branch. She snapped her fingers and flew back to the Tree of Beginning.

* * *

"Guys, we got a letter from Mew!" yelled Umbreon.

"Could you hold on a second?" Kiki shouted back. She and Lucario were in the middle of a Ping-Pong game, but with Lucario's Aura-seeing ability, it wasn't much of a match.

"I win again."

"Aargh!" shrieked Kiki. "I hate you!"

"I know," Lucario replied smugly. Umbreon walked into the room with the letter.

"Listen to this, guys. Here's what it says:

Hey, people! It's me, Mew!

I'm wondering if you guys could come to a party on Sunday.

It's the 47 billionth anniversary of the universe!

Hope that I'll see you there!

Mew

(P.S. Kiki, bring your whole team.)

(P.P.S. There's gonna be cake.)

(P.P.P.S. Could you make fruit salad, Umbreon? Yours tastes so good!)

(P.P.P.P.S. P.S.-ing is fun!)"

Umbreon stopped reading. She looked up from the letter and said, "Mew sure likes to P.S."

* * *

At the exact moment Umbreon finished reading the invitation, six others landed in separate mailboxes. Seven Pokémon read the invitations, and seven Pokémon started their long journey to the Tree of Beginning. This was going to be a universe anniversary that none of them would forget.

* * *

"Kiki! Get your butt down here!" Umbreon shouted up the stairs. They were about to head off to Mew's party, but there was always _someone _who delayed everything.

Ten minutes later, Kiki slid down the banister and landed on her feet. Umbreon glared at her and Lucario tapped an invisible wrist watch. "Where were you?" the fox asked, quite annoyed.

"The bathroom," she replied. "There was this disgusting..."

Umbreon started gagging and Lucario covered his ears, singing loudly, "Oh, say, can you SEE..."

"...spider." Kiki sweatdropped. The three headed out the door and walked toward the Tree of Beginning.

* * *

Halfway there, the three heard a shout of anger. Umbreon shrugged and they kept walking. Then, there was a loud explosion.

"JIRA, YOU IDIOT!"

"Hey, cool it, Phi, cool it, it was an accident."

"Accident? _Accident? _That was no _accident. _You were aiming for me!"

"I didn't say _that_ part was an accident." By this time, Lucario, Umbreon, and Kiki had arrived at the scene. An oak tree had been blown in half, and standing in front of it was a small girl, probably six or seven. Her blonde hair was put up in a single ponytail; she wore a red shirt with long orange sleeves, a scarlet skirt, baby blue knee socks, and crimson Mary Janes. Around her neck was a crystal pendant, sapphire in color, matching her eyes.

"What happened?" Umbreon asked telepathically. The girl shifted her gaze to the three.

"Oh, nothing, really, except that this lamebrain Jira over here nearly blew my head to pieces!" The blond, teenage boy waved at them. His baggy shorts were lilac, and his no-sleeve shirt matched. From his ears hung unique earrings, like blue strips of paper, and his feet were donned with sandals, the type that ancient Romans would wear. He, too, wore a crystal, but his was a deep violet.

"As you probably know already," he said, "my name is Jira. And that gnat over there is Phi."

The little girl fumed. She tried to calm herself down. "With a _ph,_" she struggled, trying to be polite. "P-H-I. Spell it with an _f _and I'll kill you." Kiki started laughing, but Umbreon nudged her elbow and gave her an _I don't think she's joking _look.

"So," Lucario asked, eager to change the subject, "where are you two headed?"

"The Tree of Beginning," Jira replied right before Phi leapt onto him and covered his mouth.

"Really? We're going there, too! Want to tag along with us?" Umbreon offered.

"Sure!" Phi smiled sweetly. "Why not?" She got up off of the teenager.

"Great, you've probably paralyzed me," he pouted.

"All except your mouth, unfortunately." Phi pulled Jira up and the quintet made their way again.

* * *

"Tree ho!" Kiki cried, getting her annoyed glances from the others. They had reached the trunk of the great Tree. The brunette knocked on the bark three times, then shouted, "Hey, Mew, it's us! Open up!" Lucario sighed. What a great cover.

An all but invisible door opened, and Mew poked her head out. "Oh, hi, guys! It's been so long, Phione. You too, Jirachi. Come on in, Celebi's already in the kitchen.

"Phione?"

"Jirachi?"

"Celebi?"

The three looked at each other. This had just gone _way _up on the weirdness scale.

* * *

Well, there you have it. Please R&R. More chapters coming soon!

-Umbreon Mastah


	2. Something Wicked This Way Comes

Well, here's da next chapter. Thanks to all who reviewed! Things get a little chaotic, but also a bit more explained.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon._

* * *

Phi giggled. She began to glow white, and her shape changed from a young girl to a Pokémon. The same exact thing happened with Jira. Instead of two ordinary...on second thought, maybe not so ordinary, but still humans, before them floated Phione and Jirachi. Phione flew over and hugged Mew, and Jira gave the pink Pokémon a high five. Then Mew came over to Kiki, Lucario, and Umbreon, jaws dropped.

"What?" she asked. "I told you that legendary Pokémon can change their appearance."

"Yeah, last Thursday," the black fox said cynically.

"Then why do you look so surprised?"

Umbreon rolled her eyes. "_Sarcasm, _Mew."

"Ah."

The six stood there quietly for a moment. Finally, Mew said, "Well, let's not stand out here collecting dust! Come on in!" They entered the Tree and Mew shut the door.

* * *

Inside, the pink kitten Pokémon led her guests through long corridors until they reached the kitchen. A green fairy Pokémon dashed up to them.

"Hi, everyone!" she called.

"How are you, Cele...," Jirachi started.

"Celebi!" Phione cried. She tore toward the Pokémon, and was met with a gigantic hug.

"Phione!" cooed Celebi. "You've grown so much!"

"Cele...bi...you're crushing...me," the little blue Pokémon struggled. Kiki couldn't help but break out into a fit of laughter. For the first time, Celebi noticed the presence of Umbreon, Lucario, and Kiki.

"Mew, you invited a human?" she asked. "And two non-legendaries?" The fairy Pokémon chuckled. "This is a first!" She flew up to Kiki and offered her hand. "Pleased to meet you!" she said.

"Likewise!" replied Kiki as she shook it. She turned her head and mouthed to Umbreon, "Oh my god, I'm touching Celebi's hand!" The fox sighed.

* * *

After the introductions were over, Mew brought out the food. There were plates filled to the top with all kinds of food, from burgers to salad. The pink Pokémon asked Umbreon, "Did you bring fruit salad?" She looked at the fox hopefully.

"I would have, but Kiki drained our berry store making Poffins."

Kiki smiled. "I brought the Poffins, though!" Out of her pocket she pulled out a Poffin case, crammed with blackened Poffins. "After you get past the crispy part," she said, "you can taste the berries."

"Along with soot, sawdust, and God knows what else," Lucario murmured.

"So, who wants one?" shouted Kiki. There was an awkward silence.

"What do we say?" Jirachi whispered to Mew. She shrugged. At that moment, a loud knock was heard.

"Alleluia, praise the Lord!" cried Mew as she sped to the door, followed by the others, happy to get away from the Poffins of Death.

"Manaphy!" Mew called. "Glad you could make it!" She led the Seafaring Pokémon to where the others were standing, then muttered to him under her voice, "_Thank you._"

"Uh, no problem," he replied, quite confused. Then he shifted his gaze toward the group. "Phione!"

"Papa!" Phione embraced Manaphy and asked, "Where were you?"

"I had to get this," he answered, then showed them an enormous ice cream sundae. Everyone gasped. It nearly touched the ceiling.

"That's a big sundae," said Lucario.

After a brief silence, Jirachi shouted, "Well, why don't we eat it?" Everybody cheered their agreement, brought the monstrous dessert into the kitchen, and dug in.

* * *

About an hour later, the sundae wasn't even half gone. Between bites, Jirachi was recounting the story of when he and Deoxys went on a ding-dong-ditch spree in their human forms and got whacked over the head by an old lady. All of the listeners were laughing their heads off. Then, Kiki screamed, "Brain freeze!" She grabbed her head, got off the chair, and started dancing like a mad woman. Mew got up and danced with her, and their audience clapped heartily.

During all of this, Phione glanced out the window and shouted, "Hey, Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit are here!" Mew stopped dancing all of the sudden.

"M-Mesprit?" she asked quietly.

"Come on!" Umbreon cried in an unnaturally loud voice. "Let's go meet them! The more the merrier, I always say!"

Manaphy looked at Lucario and asked, "Can you get drunk on ice cream?"

Lucario shrugged, saying, "I don't know, but she never says that." The group made their way to the door. But, in all of the confusion, no one saw Jirachi quietly slip away.

* * *

"They are all here."

The message reached its target loud and clear. The recipient smirked. His revenge was drawing near. The man looked at his right arm, sitting in a sling. "It is time," he said. "Be afraid, my friends. Be very afraid." He chuckled as he received a psychic image of Lucario, Umbreon, Kiki, and Mew. "Something wicked this way comes."

* * *

Guess who's back!

Something wicked this way comes...

-Umbreon Mastah


	3. I Know You Know

Hola, everyone! Here's my next chapter. Sorry if it's kinda short. The next one will be longer.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Don't we all know this by now?_

* * *

Mew opened the door reluctantly. "Hello," she said shyly. Mesprit was outside, his cheeks just as red as Mew's. 

"Hi," he replied. There was silence for a while.

"Mesprit?" Manaphy's question came out of nowhere. "Where are Azelf and Uxie?"

The Emotion Pokémon's blush faded as he turned to Manaphy and said, "Uxie fell asleep, and Azelf's trying to wake him up." Phione started giggling, then burst out laughing. Everyone else couldn't help but join her.

"MESPRIT!"

"Uh oh." The Pokémon, plus Kiki, looked outside to see Azelf screaming.

"Get your butt down here and help me drag your brother to the Tree!"

Mesprit tried his best to keep a straight face as he called, in a very formal voice, "Dearest sister, Uxie is your beloved brother as well, and you are also the oldest. Therefore, he is your responsibility." This caused some chuckles from the back.

"Oh, well, _you're _the youngest, so you've got to do what I say." Azelf stuck out her tongue.

"Says who?" her brother taunted.

"Says ME!" she shouted back. The two started screeching at each other, until Uxie lifted up his yellow head and blinked his eyes open, then shut again.

"What's going on?" he mumbled. Azelf stared at him, then at Mesprit, then back to him.

"Thank you, darling brother!" she shouted to Mesprit. He rolled his eyes.

During all of this, Jirachi had made his way back to the group. "Oh, hello, Azelf, Uxie," he greeted as they came in. Then he turned to the youngest pixie. "Hello, Mesprit." No one could hear the tint of hatred in his voice, or, if they did, they didn't say anything. The group continued back into the kitchen, and back to the ice cream. What they didn't know, was that they were being watched.

* * *

"Well, well, surrounded by legendaries, huh? This will be an enjoyable challenge." Upon a rock sat a young man, probably in his upper twenties, lower thirties, and a Raichu. The electric mouse nodded. His master lowered his binoculars and smirked. "She will be a fine addition to our team." 

"Gideon?" asked the Raichu. The man turned toward him, spiky black hair blown in the wind.

"What is it?"

"When do we attack?"

Gideon smiled. "Now."

* * *

Umbreon was amazed. So many legendaries in one day! This was astounding! "Hey, Mew!" she called. The pink Pokémon floated over to her. "Thanks for inviting us," the fox said. 

"Oh...you're welcome," replied Mew. She went back to where she was, still blushing a crimson hue. Umbreon tilted her head. What happened to the hyperactive ball of pink? She walked over to Lucario and told him her thoughts.

"She does seem a bit different," he wondered aloud. "I think it's got something to do with Mesprit." Umbreon nodded.

"I'll go check," she said. She headed in Mesprit's direction. The pixie Pokémon was obviously cracking jokes with Manaphy. "You," she said, very business-like. Mesprit looked in her direction. "Here. Now." He shrugged and followed her out of the kitchen.

"Yeah?" he said. "What do you want?"

Umbreon sighed. "What's wrong with Mew?" Mesprit looked confused.

"How should I know?" Though he tried to hide it, Umbreon saw his cheeks turn pink.

"Oh, I don't know," she said, with an I-know-you-know smile. "Maybe because every time she tries to talk, heck, look at you, her face turns red." She paused, then added, "Like yours is now." There was no response. A mischievous look flashed across Umbreon's face. "Do you _love _her?"

"No!" Mesprit exclaimed. "Well," he continued, "maybe a little...kinda...a lot...yes." Umbreon smirked.

"Tell her, then."

"But...what if she doesn't like me?" The black fox laughed.

"Doesn't like you? Are you blind?" She laughed again. "She blushes whenever you're near her, can't manage more than two words to you, and...um..." Umbreon tried to think of a third thing. "Well, anyway, there's no chance of her _not _liking you."

"You sure?"

"Positive." Umbreon started to push Mesprit into the kitchen. "Now go tell her." She smiled. Giving dating advice to Pokémon she just met wasn't one of her strong points, but Umbreon felt that she had just made one hell of a speech. Timidly, the Emotion Pokémon started floating toward Mew. As he was about to reach her, though, a bolt of lightning jolted into the room. Celebi screamed, Kiki started panic, Lucario glanced around anxiously; the whole place became a mess. But for Umbreon, Phione's cry stood out.

"We're under attack!"

* * *

There you go! Hope you enjoyed it! Please keep R&Ring! 

-Umbreon Mastah

...something wicked this way comes...


	4. What Have I Done?

Finally! Sorry it took so long, but here's the chapter. It's kinda short, but mostly action. I promise you all, the next chapter will be much longer and full of MewxMesprit. And if I don't, let me be struck by a gigantic ice cream sundae. Thank you to all who reviewed, and enjoy!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Duh._

* * *

Lucario closed his eyes. He tried his best to remain calm as he searched for their attacker's Aura. There was Kiki, and Umbreon and Mew over there. Lucario counted the Auras carefully, once, twice, three times. He saw all of his friends, but not a single Aura more. He opened his eyes and attempted to think. How could they counter-attack when their assailant was no where to be found? Another flash of lightning scorched the kitchen floor. Then, a light bulb clicked. "Guys!" called Lucario over the confusion. "I'm going in!" He dashed to the source of the Thunderbolts with the confidence that he could take out this foe.

* * *

Jirachi was busy trying to dodge the lightning when he received the message.

**"You've got mail," **chimed a voice inside his head. Jirachi sighed.

"Why now?" he said. Still avoiding the attacks, he listened to the message.

**"How goes it?" **a sinister voice inquired. Jirachi shuddered. He would never get used to that tone.

**"Not well," **he replied. He heard a scowl of anger.

**"What's wrong?"**

**"Well, sir," **Jirachi struggled, **"we're kind of under attack." **He yelped as a Thunderbolt hit one of his tails. **"Sir?" **the Destiny Pokémon asked. **"Sir, what do we do?"** There was a silence. **"Sir?"**

**"Start now." **Jirachi nodded.

**"Yes sir, Ciar."**

* * *

Gideon smirked. It was going just as planned. Sooner or later their target would show her face and she'd be his. "Raichu," he called, "where is she?" The electric mouse stopped his assault for a second and shrugged.

"Still inside." Then he resumed his Thunderbolt attacks. The two waited in silence. Finally, Raichu said, "Hey, I think I see something coming towards us!" Gideon jumped. He readied a Pokéball and motioned for Raichu to stop the lightning.

"You ready?" he asked the mouse.

"Always," Raichu replied. The world seemed to stop as, slowly, a form appeared from the hole in the Tree caused by the first attack.

"Come on," Gideon muttered under his voice. "Hurry up." Quite suddenly, a large ball of blue energy sped toward them, singeing Gideon's hair. "That's it!" he cried. "Show yourself!" He heard laughter, and from where they were looking a Pokémon appeared, but not the one they were searching for.

"Gideon," Raichu whispered, "that's not Umbreon! What do we do?" Gideon seemed shocked. He turned to Raichu, mouth slightly open, but then smiled evilly.

"He's not the one we want," he replied, "so kill him."

* * *

The sudden stop of lightning surprised the inhabitants of the Tree. Kiki, who had been hiding under the table, poked her head out and asked, "Is it safe to come out?" Umbreon crept toward where Lucario disappeared to. A sudden flash of Thunder scorched her ear.

"Nope," she said simply. Kiki screamed and flew back to her table haven.

"Whatever's happening," Manaphy remarked, "is happening out there, and not in here." He paused for effect. "So stop screaming." Umbreon thought a moment.

"Lucario might need help," she wondered aloud. "I should go see what's going on."

"As long as it's you and not me," wailed Kiki. Umbreon rolled her eyes and rushed through the opening. She was astounded by what she saw.

Lucario and a Raichu were brawling it out in a massive battle of electricity and Aura. Behind the Raichu was a young man, black hair blowing in the wind. Suddenly, he turned toward her. A glimpse of surprise dashed across his face. "Raichu!" he called. "She has arrived!" The electric mouse turned his head, giving Lucario an opening. He shot an Aura Sphere on a collision course to Raichu's tail. "Raichu!" cried the man. In a split second, Raichu turned around and used Counter with his tail, sending the attack right back at Lucario.

"No!" Umbreon ran in the way of the attack and used Reflect, and the sphere shot off in a random direction. The fox let down her shield.

"What are you doing?" Umbreon turned her head to see the Raichu's trainer fuming. "Raichu, start fighting her!" She then looked at Raichu. He was limp, like he couldn't move, mouth open, a bit of drool falling down. "Raichu, snap out of it!"

"Umbreon," Lucario whispered, "this is your chance."

"Oh, right!" Umbreon's ears twitched and she executed a Teleport attack that sent their attackers, well, somewhere. She breathed a sigh of relief. That is, until Mew appeared at the opening.

"Guys, we have a major problem."

"What's wrong?" asked Lucario.

"I just did a head count," replied the pink Pokémon, "and Phione's missing!"

* * *

"Does anyone remember the last time they saw Phione?" Azelf questioned. Umbreon told about hearing her, and Lucario said that he saw her Aura, but no one else answered. It was like they were in a trance. This had never happened before! "Well," said Azelf, breaking the silence, "the most logical explanation is a kid...ah-hem, sorry, Pokénapping." Gasps were heard from the group. Then, Uxie stepped up.

"I must say," he told them with a yawn, "that this is the most despicable thing that I have ever heard of..." He paused to let out another yawn. "...and whoever is responsible for this should burn in the fiery pits of hell." On that final note, Uxie drifted back to sleep.

"You heard him!" Azelf shouted. "Anything that makes Uxie say a sentence that long is too serious to ignore! Tomorrow we will find the criminal and bring him, or her, to justice!" This was met by a chorus of cheers.

But one voice wasn't heard. In the corner sat Jirachi, looking down at the ground and muttering to himself, "What have I done?"

* * *

There it is, hope it was good, next one up soon, I'll stop writing run-ons now.

-Umbreon Mastah


	5. Trying To Tell

Alright, sorry it took so long, but I worked really hard on this one! Lots o' romance, lots o' humor, lots o'...um...writing! Enjoy!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Darn._

* * *

The sun shone brilliantly on the morning after. Mew sighed. At least _someone _was somewhat happy. Azelf, the self-declared head of the Phione search party, had decided that their group would split into two and cover more ground. She started to organize the teams. "Uxie, Party One," she called. "Mesprit, Party Two." At the sound of Mesprit's name, Mew blushed. Realizing this, she desperately tried to shake the redness away. Then she started praying as Azelf shouted, "Jirachi, Party One. Umbreon, Party Two."

"Please, please, please," she muttered to herself quietly. Celebi went to Party One while Lucario was assigned to Two.

"Manaphy, One. Kiki, Two." Mew crossed her fingers. "And Mew will be Party Two while I am in Party One." The pink Pokémon's cheeks weren't very pink any more. Instead, they were a shocking scarlet.

"Crap," she said inaudibly, and ducked under her mahogany table before anyone could see. That is, before anyone but Lucario could see. He walked over and followed her under.

"What's wrong, Mew?" he asked. She said nothing, shaking her head instead. Lucario looked out at Mesprit, who was also a deep shade of crimson. "You know," he said, "this is a great way to spend time with Mesprit." Mew shook her head again.

"It's too hard," she answered. "He doesn't like me." Lucario slapped his head.

"Women," he sighed to himself. He dragged her out, saying, "Well, I'm gonna make you talk to him by today or, so help me, I'll eat fifty of Kiki's Poffins of Death!" Mew let out a small chuckle. "That's the spirit!" shouted Lucario. "Now, let's go!" Mew, now back to her regular coloring, followed him out, brimming with confidence. Then, she took a step toward Mesprit. He looked at her, and all her newfound self-belief drained away. Lucario turned toward the shivering ball of nerves. "This is going to take longer than I thought."

* * *

Phione could barely breathe. The air in here was humid enough, and the bandana around her mouth didn't really help. "Enjoying your stay?" came the frigid voice again. With telepathy, she streamed curses at the man in front of her that would make Weavile shudder. "Now, now," he replied coolly, "a 700-year-old shouldn't say those things."

**"Your mom shouldn't say those things, Ciar," **she shot back. Phione saw Ciar flinch. Any mention of the words "your" and "mom" together in a sentence got under his skin. She laughed tensely.

"You may be laughing now, gnat," Ciar threw at her, "but try that when I capture your friends as well as you." Phione gasped. _That _was his plan! "And also remember, I'm the one who brought you into being, and I can certainly take you out of it."

**"You wouldn't dare!" **But Phione knew differently. He wasn't above killing his victims. When she was hatched inside his laboratory, she had seen two Zigzagoon and a Starly fall to his grasp. But not only the weaker ones, but also strong Pokémon like Ursaring and Luxray perished. Oh, he wasn't joking. **"You're going to die for this," **she muttered.

"Oh will I?" Ciar let out a barrage of sinister cackles. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and appear at Miss Fluffywuffs's and Mr. Snuffikens's tea party." With that, he left the room. Phione rolled her eyes and wished that she had been captured by a more impressive foe.

* * *

Kiki desperately tried to contain her laughter. This was the funniest sight she had ever seen. Three hours into the search, Lucario picked a lone iris and gave it to Umbreon, who slightly blushed and put it behind her ear. This probably wouldn't have been hilarious, except for the fact that Lucario made a not-so-secret cue to Mew, who then gathered up a few daisies and headed toward Mesprit. But, because of her constant shaking, she tripped halfway there. Umbreon helped her up, but Mew was so red that she said that she was going to "look up ahead" and left the party. A giggle escaped from Kiki. Umbreon turned and glared at her, piercing red eyes boring through her. That shut her up. The black fox walked over to Mesprit and started to chat with him. Once her back was turned, Kiki started chuckling again. She stuck her hand into her bag and pulled out a video camera. _This _was going to be good.

* * *

"I _told _you she likes you!" Mesprit smiled. "Ha!" Umbreon cried. "A smile! And not a blush! Great progress! Now you just have to tell her how you feel!" The Emotion Pokémon's grin disappeared.

"I...can't," he said finally.

"Aw, come on! Give me one reason why you can't."

"Because," he began, "I..." Mesprit searched for the right words. "I'm too scared."

Umbreon thought a moment. This situation reminded her of herself while she was still an Eevee. "Then don't talk to her," she told him.

Confused, Mesprit asked, "How do I tell her, then?" A sly look appeared on Umbreon's face.

"Write her."

* * *

Lucario ran to catch up with Mew. "Hey!" he called. Mew stopped for a moment and turned back. "What's wrong, Mew?" The pink Pokémon turned away again.

"I can't do it," she said somberly. "I've tried, believe me, I've tried, but..."

"But what?" asked Lucario.

"I'm just not good at this."

"Not good at what?" Lucario sighed. "Talking, confronting...?"

"The whole thing," Mew interrupted. "The entire romance deal. It's just...not working."

"You've barely spoken a full sentence to him, and you're saying it's not working?" The fighting Pokémon sat down on a nearby rock. Mew followed his example. "Come on," he insisted. "All you need to do is tell him." The pink kitten Pokémon looked down at her head. Lucario put his arm around her. "Look," he said, "I know this is something you might feel more comfortable talking with a, uh...female with, but you two belong together." He stopped for a moment. "Now, I want you to talk to Mesprit by tomorrow, okay?"

Mew hesitated. "Okay," she said finally. "But don't force yourself to eat those Poffins if I don't." The two stood up and started back toward the rest of the group.

"Perfect!" came a voice from behind him. "Amazing! This is gold here, peoples!" Kiki, holding her video camera to her eye, appeared from behind the rock. "The drama, the tragedy, the...what was that about my Poffins?"

"You recorded the entire thing?" Kiki nodded. Mew stared at her in disbelief. She looked at Lucario. "May I have the honor?" she asked.

"Be my guest. May I join you?" Mew nodded, and the two headed toward Kiki.

"Hey, what are you doing? Come on, you've got to admit it will make a great movie! Violence solves nothing, you know!" But Kiki's words were lost as the fight began. In the confusion of the brawl, though, no one saw a yellow-orange tail appear and then disappear behind a nearby bush.

* * *

Night had fallen. The friends had set up camp; Lucario and Umbreon in one tent, Kiki, Mesprit, and Mew in the other. Long ago had they all fallen asleep.

A twig snapped. Umbreon's head shot up. Being a creature of the night, she was a light sleeper. There was a rustling outside of the tent. Cautiously, Umbreon peeked out.

"Hi!"

"Aagh!" Umbreon flew backwards as she was greeted by the face of a Raichu. Regaining herself, she recognized him. "You," she sneered.

"Yes, me." The Raichu smiled. "The one and only!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, I...I-I-I-I-I-...," he stuttered. Umbreon sighed. "Can I come in?" the electric mouse said finally.

"I don't see why not. Just be quiet," the black fox replied. Raichu stepped into the tent. "So, what do you want?"

"I came to warn you."

"Of what?" Umbreon asked.

"Of an attack," he answered. "At morning." Then he looked outside. "I'd better get going," he said finally. "If Gideon finds out I'm here..." Raichu shuddered.

"Gideon?"

"My trainer." Raichu started to make his way back outside.

"Wait!" called Umbreon. "Why are you doing this?" A sly smile appeared on Raichu's face.

"Let's just say...I have my reasons." With that, he exited the tent. Umbreon put her head down and tried to fall back to sleep.

About a minute later, Raichu popped his head back into the tent. He glanced first to Lucario, then to Umbreon, then snuck back inside. He leaned down and planted his lips onto Umbreon's. Her eyes snapped open.

Seconds later, Raichu was lying on the ground outside, his face in the mud. "You little...!" Umbreon shouted. Lucario lifted his head up.

"What is it?" he asked groggily. Umbreon turned to him and smiled sweetly.

"Nothing," she said. She leaned over and hugged him, then stuck her head out of the tent and yelled, "Don't even think about that again, or there's gonna be an Aura Sphere with your name on it, you pervert!" Lucario sighed and went back to bed.

* * *

Jirachi finished setting up the last of the IRCs. He sighed. **"They're ready,"** he said.

**"Good,"** came the reply. **"We'll use them in the morning." **Jirachi looked to the north, the direction in which Party Two had gone.

"Mew," he said softly. Then he went back to his tent and lay down.

"Mew."

* * *

As always, R&R, please! Hope you enjoyed it, and the next chapter should be up...I'm not exactly sure, but it will be up.

-Umbreon Mastah


	6. Gideon Returns

Here you go people. Thanks to those who reviewed! Enjoy the action! (I worked hard on the battle-don't get mad at me!)

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon._

* * *

Phione gazed up at the single window in her captor's lab. A dazzling beam of sunlight shown through onto her face. She sighed. How she longed to actually see the sun, instead of just its rays. But Phione knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. So absorbed in the beam, she toppled off of the makeshift bed that she was sitting on, earning her a large bruise on one of her arms. Instinctively, she used Aqua Ring, and the mark disappeared. Then she gasped. That was it!

Phione closed her eyes and used Secret Power on a nearby water pipe. An instant later, it burst, and water rushed in. Phione smirked. Ciar wouldn't know what hit him.

* * *

Chewing on his eraser, Mesprit looked down at the paper in front of him. Blank. Like it had been for the past two hours. What had Umbreon said? Just let your feelings out, yeah, that was it. Mesprit thought a minute. Well, he loved Mew more than anything else in the world, more than the stars, the sun, the sky, more than cheese! But he couldn't write that on paper; it would sound like a six-year-old wrote it. Then another idea popped into his head. If he really liked Mew, he should be able to act like a six-year-old around her. He could just be himself around her! Mesprit started writing furiously. Finally, he removed his pencil from the paper, tucked the letter into the envelope, and sat down, much more relieved. He was sure that it was all going to be perfect. 

Yeah, right. Mesprit looked down at the envelope in his paw and sighed. Like it was really going to work out just because of a stupid, first-grade level love letter. He took out the paper and read it over. He was just about to crumble it up when Umbreon slipped inside his yellow tent silently.

"Whatcha doin'?" she shouted over his shoulder.

"Ack!" Mesprit whipped around, hiding the paper behind his back. "N-nothing!" he stuttered. "Nothing at all!" Umbreon looked at him cynically.

"Sure." She twitched her ears, and the letter, now surrounded by a blue light, shot from behind Mesprit's back and into Umbreon's paws. She scanned it, her eyes moving back and forth in a rhythmic matter. When she lifted her head at last, tears could be seen in her crimson eyes.

"That," she said, "was the most beautiful thing I have ever read." Mesprit slightly blushed as Umbreon handed it back to him. "Give it too her now," she urged. Shocked, Mesprit shook his head. "That wasn't a suggestion." The fox pushed him out of the tent and toward where Mew was sitting. Just then, however, a jolt of lightning scorched her ear. She whisked around, fuming. "Hold that thought," she said. "I've got some business to take care of." With that, she disappeared in the blink of an eye.

* * *

While his other comrades were sitting around the campfire eating breakfast and chatting happily, Jirachi solemnly munched on his French toast, silent as a mouse. He knew that the tittering wouldn't be very happy in a few minutes. Regretfully, he glanced toward the carefully hidden button under the log on which he was resting. A single phrase meant the pressing of that button, and terrible things would happen. Not to him, of course, but still...it wasn't right. Should he be doing this? These were his friends, the Pokémon sitting in front of him; Manaphy, his face covered in scrambled egg, Celebi, laughing so hard that she was turning red, Azelf, chugging down her fifteenth helping of bacon, and Uxie, still asleep. As always. Jirachi chuckled to himself, but only briefly. What he was about to do could do away with them, that he knew. The order came. 

**"It is time."** Jirachi hesitated. Why was he doing this? He reached for the button, then pulled his hand back. He couldn't. Then a picture of Mew flashed into his mind. Oh, he could. And he must. Eyes closed, he slammed down on the button and flinched as the cages mysteriously appeared from under the ground and surrounded the other legendaries.

"What the...?"

"What's happening?"

"We're trapped!"

"Jirachi!" Celebi cried. "Get us out of here!"

"Celebi, I...," he started, but stopped as a cold hand was placed on his shoulder.

"Very good, Jirachi," came the voice, dark as night. "Very good."

Celebi gasped.

* * *

Raichu hesitated before shooting another Thunderbolt in Umbreon's direction. He knew that last night's trick was going to crash-land him into a world of pain, but, boy, did it feel good. Not that he'd let Gideon know. Raichu glanced back at the man behind him. Oh, if he let Gideon know that he visited their target, he'd be in a universe of pain. Raichu opted with the world. But as Umbreon sped toward him, eyes glowing with fury, he sure wished that there was an Option C. He stopped his assault a moment, and Umbreon, too, stopped. 

"Raichu!" cried his master. "Stop standing there and get moving!"

"Gideon, something's wrong here," he whispered back. At that moment, Umbreon twitched her ears, and the ground started shaking madly. A small crack appeared, then got bigger, and bigger, and bigger, heading straight for the electric rat and his trainer. Gideon's eyes got wide.

"How in the world does she know Earthquake?" he shouted. "Move out of the way!" The command reached Raichu just in time, and he jumped up a second before the fissure reached him. The hole in the earth closed up, revealing one angry Umbreon dashing toward them. Her ears twitched again, and a barrage of rocks sped through the air, dangerously close to where Raichu was standing. As he leapt out of the way, he was met by a well-aimed Aura Sphere that knocked him down face-first. When he struggled to get up, another Rock Throw was sent his way, followed by two Aura Spheres and a Rock Tomb. Badly damaged, Raichu lifted his head weakly.

"The ears!" he heard in the distance. "Attack the ears, you dolt!" With his remaining strength, the electric mouse got up and ran toward Umbreon. The two met, heads clashing. The force pushed them away from each other, both taking heavy damage.

"This fight's over," muttered Umbreon. She tried to twitch her ears, but was met with a spasm of pain. Her left ear had been broken by the impact!

"No," said Raichu between his gasps for breath, "it's only just began." Fox and rat looked at each other and the fighting began. Lightning met Aura, electricity met darkness, and, for a while, it seemed like there would be no winner. Suddenly, in the midst of the fighting, a cry was heard.

"Go Pokéball!" A red and white sphere was tossed toward Umbreon, and she was sucked inside. The ball shook once, twice, and...

FLASH!

Umbreon broke out and the capsule split in two. She smirked. "Not getting me down that easily!" Gideon looked at Raichu, nearly dead.

"Let's get out of here," he muttered, recalling Raichu to his Pokéball. Then he left, dashing away as fast as he could. "Not a great victory," he said to himself, "but he who runs away can catch the Umbreon another day!"

Umbreon looked off into the distance. "And don't come back!" she shouted. Then she turned around and promptly headed back to camp to get her ear fixed.

* * *

"Gideon, we should just give up," Raichu pleaded. 

"Give up?" Gideon glanced at his partner. "We can't give up. But there will be no more fighting."

"How could we weaken her then?"

Gideon smiled slyly. Pulling a purple ball from his pocket, he said, "We won't have to." Then he laughed, and stared at the single M that donned the Pokéball.

* * *

Lucario was meditating when he suddenly jolted upright. "I know where Phione is!" he said. Four heads popped inside his tent. 

"Really?" Kiki asked. The fighting type nodded.

"Well, where? Tell us!" Mew started bouncing up and down like her hyperactive self again.

"Follow me."

The group packed up camp and set off after Lucario. Umbreon was walking beside him, her ear enclosed in an ice pack. "Everyone is there," he told her.

"What do you mean, 'everyone'?" she asked, shocked.

"Celebi, Jirachi, the entire Party One," Lucario replied. Umbreon gasped.

"Does that mean they've been Pokénapped, too?" Lucario shrugged.

"Maybe they're captives, maybe they're rescuers, only time will tell." Then he stopped. "There's danger here."

The entire group stopped in their tracks. "Don't move," whispered Lucario. They stood completely still for about five minutes. Then came disaster.

"I can't take it any more!" shouted Kiki. She jumped up into the air. Suddenly, a multitude of black holes surrounded them. Fierce winds started blowing.

"Hold on to something!" Lucario shouted over the wind. Mesprit grabbed Kiki, who grabbed Mew, who grabbed Umbreon, who grabbed Lucario, who grabbed the ground. Then, a single piece of paper flew out toward one of the holes.

"My letter!" Mesprit cried. But it was too late. The letter had already been sucked in.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed! As always, R&R!

-Umbreon Mastah


	7. Unlikely Hero

Here it is, people! Sorry if I took a while, but this one is definately my longest! Enjoy!

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. But I can dream, right? Right?_

* * *

Mesprit watched helplessly as the black hole that had stolen his letter disappeared. "No," he whispered to himself. Umbreon looked at him. 

"This just does _wonders_ for his confidence level," she muttered. Then a light bulb clicked. "I've got it!" the fox shouted. She let go of Lucario, sending everyone else flying.

"Have you lost your mind?" screeched Kiki. Umbreon winked and grabbed a bit of dust off of the ground. She threw it into the nearest black hole. Swallowing the dirt up, it disappeared, satisfied. Swiftly, Umbreon did the exact same thing until the voids were no more. She turned to her friends. They were stunned.

"Where did...how did...what just happened here?" Mew asked. "How'd you know to do that?" Umbreon looked toward Mesprit, who was shaking his head violently.

"Uh...instinct," she replied. "What I want to know, though," she said, "is why those holes suddenly appeared."

"It must have been a trap," Lucario thought aloud. The group looked toward him questioningly. "And I think I know who set it." His comrades gasped at the mention of the name that they had long ago forgotten.

"No...it can't be," said Mew shakily. But Lucario shook his head.

"It is."

* * *

Sitting in her cage, Phione couldn't help but snicker at the sight before her. The two Pack grunts that Ciar had sent to clean up the flooding she had caused had decided to tap dance with their mops. Across the room from her, she could see her father trying to contain his laughter. Azelf, on the other hand, was rolling on the floor of her cage in a fit of giggles. Uxie, obviously, was sleeping. But Celebi, sitting in the cage next to Phione, had quite a serious look on her face. "How could he do this?" she heard the fairy Pokémon mutter for probably the fifth time since she and the other legendaries were forced into here, only to be greeted with a room filled with water. Smiling, Phione still remembered the look of astonishment on Ciar's face when he walked in. And, of course, she just _had _to add salt to the wound by sticking out her tongue. It was perfect. 

...or at least it would have been if Celebi didn't look so down. Celebi was like a mother to Phione. It pained the Sea Drifter Pokémon to see her so sad. "Hey, Celebi," she whispered. The green fairy looked her way. "Guess what I did!"

"You flooded the room," she answered solemnly.

"No, not that! Something else!" Phione glanced back and forth before leaning in and murmuring, "I contacted Lucario."

"WHAT?" Celebi shouted. The other legendaries plus the Pack members turned their heads and looked at her.

"...the heck is on the floor?" she said, trying to quickly come up with something. "You guys missed a spot." The grunts rolled their eyes and got back to work.

"When?" she whispered to Phione.

"This morning," she replied. A smile crept onto Celebi's face.

"Phione, you've just saved us all."

* * *

"Target sighted," said Raichu, quite somberly. But Gideon didn't notice. An evil grin was plastered on his face. 

"Wonderful," he replied, taking out his secret weapon and staring at it. "This is it."

"Gideon, shouldn't you rethink this..."

"Silence! We _will_ attack them, and we _will_ catch Umbreon, and you _will_ shut up right now." Raichu looked down at the ground.

"Yes, Gideon," he sighed.

* * *

Jirachi walked into the large room. "You asked for me, sir?" Ciar nodded his head. 

"Yes," he replied. "Lucario and his friends are almost here. They still do not know that you have betrayed them." Jirachi flinched at the word _betrayed. _"Be sure that they meet you first and not the others, got it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, remember, get me Lucario or the deal is off."

"Yes, sir."

"Be gone with you." Jirachi nodded and walked out the door.

Once in his room (not much of a room-a bed, a blanket, a dresser, and not much else), Jirachi lay down and sighed. "Who knew that it would come to this? Should I do it?" He shook his head. "It's wrong, isn't it? I shouldn't be giving Lucario up to a criminal mastermind just for personal gain." The Destiny Pokémon thought a moment. "But it's not personal gain," he concluded. "It's...

_...for her."_

* * *

Umbreon couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. She glanced over her shoulder every two minutes, expecting to see a rustle in a bush or movement behind a rock. But there was nothing. She brought it up with Lucario. 

"If someone was following us," he told her, "wouldn't they attack when we were recovering from the black holes?" Umbreon nodded. It made sense, but she still checked every minute or two, just to be sure.

Clouds gathered in the sky. Soon, rain began pouring down. A thunderclap announced the coming of a huge storm.

"Sheesh. It's raining Meowth and Growlithe out here!" cried Mew.

"Maybe we should set up camp," Kiki suggested.

"But it's only two o'clock!" Lucario said.

The two started arguing. "Oh no," Umbreon sighed. She sat down and kept out of it.

"Fine!" shouted Kiki. "All in favor of staying here and setting up camp raise your hands...er...paws!" Both Kiki's and Mew's hands shot up. "All in favor of getting soaked and keep going!" Lucario and Mesprit raised their hands. "Ha!" she exclaimed. "That means...it's a tie."

"But that's not possible!" said Mesprit. "There are five of us!" Everyone looked at Umbreon.

"Um...," she started, "...hi!"

"Umbreon," said Lucario, "we need to save the others as fast as we can, right?"

"They can hold on a bit longer!" Kiki retorted. "All this rain isn't good for your broken ear! We should stay!" The two started bombarding Umbreon with reasons why she should vote for their idea when a Pokéball shot through the air and hit Kiki on the head, knocking her over.

"Looks like I missed," came Gideon's voice. "But this time, I won't." The group gasped and looked up to the top of a nearby boulder.

"Told you," Umbreon muttered to Lucario.

"This time, I've got my secret weapon!" He held up the Master Ball.

"Crud," the black fox whispered to herself.

"This time, you will be mine, Umbreon! This time, you can't stop me! Your ear is broken, so there goes your handy Metronome! I can't believe..."

"Quick, while he's monologue-ing!" Raichu mouthed to them. Umbreon nodded.

"What are you doing, taking advice from him?" Lucario whispered. She glanced at him.

"Would you rather have me get caught?" she asked.

"N-no," he stuttered.

"Then trust me. I can only use Aura Sphere now, so I need to attack when he least suspects it."

"Nothing else? What happened to all those other moves?" asked Lucario. Umbreon looked upward at her bandaged ear.

"Ears needed."

"Should I help?" The fox thought a moment.

"I'll give a signal," she said at last. "But I'd better act fast, before this lunatic realizes that he's rambling." With that, she quietly snuck out of sight behind the boulder.

"...such a fool, and I am such a genius, and...wait a minute," Gideon said with sudden awareness. "Where'd she go?" But the question was immediately answered, in the form of a large blue sphere to the head. "What the...?" Gideon whipped around.

"Gotcha," Umbreon said with a wink.

"You...," he snarled.

"Now!" shouted Umbreon. Swiftly, Lucario charged toward the unsuspecting Gideon, tackling him to the ground.

"Raichu!" Gideon shouted as Umbreon also leapt on him to hold him down. "Do something!" The electric mouse shrugged and sent a weak bolt of electricity toward Lucario, purposefully missing and hitting his master instead.

"Oops," said Raichu.

"Now...I...am...ANGRY!" Gideon pushed the two Pokémon off of his back and stood up, panting heavily. Enlarging the Master Ball, he screamed, "This ends now!" and chucked it at Umbreon.

The world seemed to slow. Umbreon knew that she couldn't run. She just had to accept her fate. Well, at least she could try to make Gideon's life miserable when she was his. Maybe he'd get so fed up with her that he'd release her! _Not likely,_ she thought to herself as the purple ball slowly cut through the air towards her. But then, the miracle happened.

"NO!" At the last second, Raichu jumped into the Master Ball's path. It bounced off of his head, hit the ground, and sat there. Gideon started to move toward it. When he was two steps away, though, it started to shake back and forth rapidly. It kept shaking and shaking, then, finally, it burst into tiny pieces. Gideon flung his arm in front of his face.

"So _that's_ what happens when you throw a Pokéball at a trainer's Pokémon," said Kiki.

Gideon glared at Raichu. "Traitor!" he shouted. "Turncoat, conspirator, double agent, Benedict Arnold...I've run out of synonyms for traitor." Raichu just stuck his tongue out. "Worthless excuse for a Pokémon," Gideon muttered. "I thought you were my friend!"

"I thought I was, too," the electric mouse replied, "but then I realized that I was more your servant than your equal." Gideon let out a stream of curses, then threw Raichu's Pokéball at the ground and spit on it.

"Fine!" he snapped. "Good riddance!" With that, he walked away. Raichu watched him until he was out of sight. He turned around at the sound of Umbreon's voice.

"Wh-why did you do that for me?" Raichu shrugged.

"I...have my reasons," he said, once again. Umbreon looked into his eyes.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked. The electric mouse nodded. The two went behind the boulder.

"That was strange," said Mesprit, breaking the silence. The others nodded their agreement. Finally, Umbreon and Raichu reappeared. The two hugged, and Raichu went in the opposite direction of Gideon.

"Goodbye!" Umbreon called. "Thank you!" In reply, Raichu raised his paw and continued walking until he disappeared into the horizon.

"What did you tell him?" asked Lucario.

"I told him that, even though he was a nice guy, and that he did a lot for me, I loved you, and nothing was going to change that. And then I asked if we could still be friends. He took it very well."

"Is it just me," Kiki asked, "or are you starting to sound mature?" Umbreon gasped.

"I'd better stop, then!" she said, and suddenly hugged Lucario very tightly.

"Can't...breathe," he stammered.

"Ooh, déjà vu," Kiki said laughingly. The two legendaries chuckled. Their eyes met, and they stopped and stared at each other for a minute, then they turned away, blushing.

"Well," said Lucario, once Umbreon had finally let go of him, "we're almost there! And look! The rain's cleared up!" And it had, leaving a rainbow in its place.

Staring at the stream of color, Raichu let out a long sigh. Silent tears streamed down his face. "Even so," he whispered to the sky, "I still love you..."

"...Umbreon."

* * *

And now, I must say that the next chapter will most likely be the last. Thank you all for sticking with it, and please keep R&Ring! 

-Umbreon Mastah


	8. The End of It All

Well, here it is. The end. This is, by far, the saddest chapter I have ever written.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon._

Tissue boxes ready? Let's go.

* * *

The five friends had been walking for about an hour now when they came across a large black building. There were few windows and a single door. In the center of the structure was a large red P with a slash through it. The entire place screamed, "Stay away or else!"

"We're here," said Lucario shakily. All five gulped.

"You know, I think I forgot to feed Weavile," Kiki stated. She edged away until Umbreon pulled her back.

"Oh no you don't, chicken," she said. Nervously, they all stepped toward the door. Mew knocked.

"Mew!" Kiki looked at her disapprovingly. "Do you think that it's just going to open if we...?" But she never got to finish the sentence. The doors swung open.

"You first," Umbreon said to no one in particular after an awkward silence.

"No way!" Mesprit declared. "If there's one thing I'velearned, it's that self-opening doors are _always _bad news."

"We've got to!" said Mew. "We've got to save the others!" There was a chorus of shaky agreements, but still no one budged.

"Alright then," she said after a while, "I'll go first, you bunch of cowards."

"No, I will," Mesprit cut in sharply. The four looked at him. Beads of sweat were forming on his face. Shaking madly, he floated through the doors and disappeared into the blackness.

"Ah, true love in its purest form," Umbreon sighed dreamily.

"What?" asked Mew.

"Nothing!" she retorted.

"All clear!" came Mesprit's voice from inside the void. They followed his voice through the doors and into a large hallway.

"Wow, this place is like a prison," said Kiki. The others agreed.

"Which way should we go?" Umbreon asked Lucario. He shrugged. There were five doors to pick from.

"We should take this way!" Mew called, heading toward the door on the far left.

"No, this one looks more promising," said Kiki as she went to the center door.

"I think we should go through this one." Mesprit took the door on Kiki's right.

"How about this one?" Lucario stood at the door to Kiki's left.

Umbreon sighed. "Just to be different," she said, "I'm-a gonna say door number five." With that she walked to the far right door.

"I know how to decide this!" Kiki exclaimed. She stepped back away from the door, closed her eyes, and stuck out her arm.

"Eenie-meenie-minie-mo; catch a tiger by his toe; if he hollers, let him go; eenie-meenie-minie-mo; my mother says to pick the very best one and that is Y-O-U, you; red, white, and blue; you." She opened her eyes to see that her finger was pointing to the door Lucario was standing in front of. "Rock," she added, pointing towards the center. "Look at that! Let's go." The others rolled their eyes.

The five of them gathered in front of the door as Kiki turned the knob. The door opened easily, revealing a large corridor with a bright neon sign hanging from the ceiling: "Prisoner Cells This Way"

"This seems too easy," Umbreon said. They walked down the hallway...

...and straight into an infrared beam. A large cage fell from the ceiling and trapped them. "Way too easy," the black fox muttered.

"How could we fall for something like this?" Lucario shouted. At that moment, the cage started to move down the passageway, dragging the friends along with it.

"This isn't very comfortable," mumbled Kiki, face squished against the bars. Unable to speak, the others simply nodded. The cage made a sharp turn and flung the friends to one side. Then it turned again and they flew to the other side. Finally, they approached a large door.

"We're gonna crash!" Mew screamed. But just before they made contact, the door flew open and the front of the cage opened, causing the five to hurtle into a large circular room.

"Ouch," said Umbreon, rubbing her broken ear. They remained silent for a while.

"Well, that was a bumpy ride!" Kiki suddenly exclaimed. The group burst into laughter.

"Come on," Lucario told them, getting up from the ground. "We've still got to find the others." He walked forward and hit something. "What the...?" The fighting placed a spiked paw in front of him. It touched something, but there was nothing there.

"Invisible walls?" Mesprit wondered aloud. "That means..."

"...we're trapped again," Mew finished. She let out a sigh. "This day keeps getting worse and worse."

"Tell me about it," mumbled Mesprit. Their eyes met, and again they looked away, blushing. Kiki choked back a laugh, but Lucario elbowed her and she stopped.

A door on the outside of the invisible prison opened.

"Jirachi!" Mew shouted. The Destiny Pokémon had appeared in the room.

"Help us, Jirachi!" Mesprit called. He looked away.

"I can't," he said quietly.

Umbreon looked at him, noticing the guilty look on his face. "What do you mean, can't?" she asked him. "Can't as in it's physically impossible for you to help, or can't as in you can, but you won't because someone told you otherwise?" Jirachi didn't answer. The fox knew that she had hit the nail on the head.

"Who, Jirachi?" whispered Mew. Jirachi opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by another voice:

"Me."

Mew gasped. Umbreon scowled. Lucario clenched his fists and Mesprit was silent, too stunned to speak. Kiki fainted.

"Ciar," Umbreon said.

"Wonderful of you to join us," Ciar told them. "So glad you could make it. It's been so long."

"Stuff that fake politeness up your butt, Ciar," shouted Mew.

"Ouch, cold," he said mockingly. "Then I'll cut right to the chase. Give me Lucario and the rest of you will go free, along with your friends."

"Like we're gonna do that," Umbreon shot at him.

"I had a feeling this would happen," Ciar sighed. "Guess I'll just have to..."

"Let us go?" offered Mesprit.

"Rethink your life?" Mew suggested.

"Go crawl into a little hole and die?" recommended Umbreon. Ciar glared at her.

"No," he said. "I'll just have to do this!" From behind him, he pulled out a large bazooka-like gun. Kiki, who had just come to, fainted again.

"This gun," he continued, "does not contain bullets, but instead a large burst of energy. Energy," he said, "drawn from the moves Hydro Cannon, Blast Burn, and Frenzy Plant for my use!"

"I _knew _those moves were a bad idea," Umbreon muttered to herself. Ciar let out a maniacal laugh.

"Did I mention it's lethal?" he said with a snicker. "But I don't want the cops on my tail if I don't need them to be. So I'm going to add to my offer. Give me Lucario, no one gets shot, and you all go free." He thought a moment, then added, "No loopholes. Lucario doesn't go free."

"Huddle!" Kiki, who had come to again, half expecting to faint again, cried. The five huddled up.

"What do we do?" asked Mew. "I don't want to die!"

"He shouldn't be able to shoot us, though," Lucario said. "Force field."

"Maybe..." Umbreon's head shot up. "Simple test!" she called. The black fox charged an Aura Sphere and shot it through the side of the force field. It kept going, through the invisible wall.

"Darn it," Mesprit said as their huddle reformed. "It allows moves through, but not living things. And if we try to use moves at Ciar, he'll pull the trigger."

"What do we do?" Mew asked again.

"Time's up!" An evil grin was planted upon Ciar's face. "Jirachi," he said, "convince them."

Jirachi hesitated. He knew that this was wrong. He couldn't bring himself to attack them, let alone her.

_Mew._

Ciar was obviously aggravated at his hesitation. "Do it or she dies!" he shouted, pointing the gun towards Mew.

Jirachi's heart stopped. "You promised you wouldn't hurt her!" he cried.

Ciar shrugged. "I lied." Jirachi was furious. Rage built up inside of him, climbing to the top of its limit.

"Fine then," he snarled, preparing to unleash a Psychic attack. The captives winced…

...but felt nothing. Instead, they heard a scream of pain from Ciar. He was clutching his head, the full force of Jirachi's attack afflicting him. Struggling to move, he lifted up the gun. "Traitor," he muttered, and, gun still pointed towards Mew, pulled the trigger.

"No!" Jirachi shouted. He flung Ciar aside with Psychic, trying to stray the beam from its path. But it was too late. The huge ray of purple light was already on its collision course.

At that moment, time stopped. Jirachi looked up. He saw Ciar, slumped against the wall; Mesprit, Umbreon, Kiki, Lucario, and Mew, looks of terror frozen upon their faces. He saw the deadly beam, stuck less than a foot from the invisible force field. And he saw himself, mid-shout, a look of anger and fear on his face. Then he realized what he had to do.

The time freeze ended. Bracing himself, Jirachi flung himself in front of the beam.

"Jirachi!" cried Mew. The Destiny Pokémon crashed into the force field, which shattered. The beam disintegrated and Jirachi landed in Mew's arms. "No," she said, tears dripping down her face.

"Mew," he said weakly, "I'm sorry."

"Jirachi," she asked him shakily, "why?"

"The whole reason I joined Ciar," he told her, "was because I loved you. I knew that you liked Mesprit more than me, and I was angry. Ciar offered me power. Power that I thought…" He faltered. "…that I thought would make you love me." Mew gasped.

"Jirachi, you did this…for me?"

"But now I see that I was wrong. I couldn't force you to love me, and I knew that you'd be happier with Mesprit. But I loved you. And I still do." With that he closed his eyes. And Jirachi was no more.

"Mew?" asked Mesprit. "Are you alright?" Mew looked up at him.

"I'm…fine," she answered, and for the first time, neither blushed. There was silence.

"We've got to go," Umbreon said quietly. "Get the others. Come on." They all nodded solemnly, and the group, Mew carrying Jirachi, made their way to the prison cells.

* * *

Later that night, after everyone recovered from the ordeal and Jirachi was buried, Mew sat out on a large branch of the Tree of Beginning. She heard a noise behind her. Whipping around, she saw Mesprit. "Oh," she said, "hi."

"Hi," he replied. "Mind if I join you?" Mew shook her head. He sat beside her. The two were silent for a while.

"Remember what Jirachi said?" Mesprit asked at last. Mew nodded.

"About me and you, right?"

"Mmm-hmm," he said. "Well, he was...I…kinda…you know…I…,"

"I love you, too," Mew finished. The two smiled at each other.

"I had hoped so," said Mesprit. They leaned in, and they kissed, forgetting the rest of the world.

Above them, a shooting star flew through the sky, and when it passed over them, it smiled.

* * *

That's it, then. Hope it was good. Thanks to all my reviewers, and watch out for the next story!

-Umbreon Mastah


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